What does "saint" mean?
A deceased person whom a church or another religious group has officially recognised as especially holy or godly; one eminent for piety and virtue.
Saint
/seɪnt/ name, noun, prefix, verb
name, noun, prefix, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A deceased person whom a church or another religious group has officially recognised as especially holy or godly; one eminent for piety and virtue.
- Grammar: saint is listed as name, noun, prefix, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: angel, holy person, accepter, agatha.
- Useful contrasts: deplorable, ugly ogre, wicked.
- Usage evidence: Many people visited the shrine where the saint lay buried.
How to use "saint"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "saint" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "saint" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "saint" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "saint" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "saint" is acting as name, noun, prefix, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "angel" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "saint", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A deceased person whom a church or another religious group has officially recognised as especially holy or godly; one eminent for piety and virtue.
"The Roman Catholic Church proclaimed Kateri Tekakwitha a saint in 2012."
- 2 A title given to a saint, often prefixed to the person's name.
"Saint Stephen was the first martyr."
- 3 model of excellence or perfection of a kind; one having no equal wordnet
- 4 One of the blessed in heaven.
"Then ſhall thy Saints unmixt, and from th' impure / Farr ſeparate, circling thy holy Mount / Unfained Halleluiahs to thee ſing,"
- 5 A Latter-day Saint, a Mormon. Mormonism
"the Kirtland Saints"
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 a person of exceptional holiness wordnet
- 7 A Christian; a faithful believer in the present world.
"Unto the Church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Iesus, called to be Saints, with all that in euery place call vpon the Name of Iesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours."
- 8 Someone connected with any of the sports teams known as the Saints, such as a player or coach, or sometimes a fan.
"In 1971, during Archie Manning's first game as a New Orleans Saint and the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams, […]"
- 9 a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization wordnet
- 10 Alternative letter-case form of Saint (“a Mormon, a Latter-day Saint”). Mormonism, alt-of, specifically
- 11 Saint class, a class of steam locomotives used on the GWR. UK
- 12 A person with similarly overwhelming positive qualities; one who does good. broadly, figuratively
"Dorothy Day was a living saint."
- 13 A holy object. archaic
"It is ruine to a man to deuoure ſaintes, and afterward to retracte the vowes."
Verb
- 1 Synonym of canonize: to honor, formally name, or revere as a saint. transitive
"Many Catholics wished to see Pope John Paul II sainted immediately after his death."
- 2 declare (a dead person) to be a saint wordnet
- 3 hold sacred wordnet
Prefix
- 1 Capitalized and placed before another term, particularly personal names, to create placename without direct association to any religious character. morpheme
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A nickname, given to someone of very good character.
- 3 A nickname, given to someone of extreme religiosity.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Many people visited the shrine where the saint lay buried."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "saint"?
Common synonyms include: angel, holy person, accepter, agatha, aggrandize, agnes.
How do you use "saint" in a sentence?
Many people visited the shrine where the saint lay buried.
How do you pronounce "saint"?
Pronounced /seɪnt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English saint, seint, sainct, seinct, sanct, senct, partly from Old English sanct (“saint”) and confluence with Old French saint, seinte (Modern French saint); both from Latin sānctus (“holy, consecrated”, in Late Latin as a noun, “a saint”), past participle of sancīre (“to render sacred, make holy”), akin to sacer (“holy, sacred”). Doublet of Sanctus. Displaced native Middle English halwe (“saint”) from Old English hālga (“saint, holy one”) (> Modern English hallow (“saint”)).
Etymology 2
From Middle English saynten, seinten, sonten, partly from Anglo-Norman saintir and partly from the noun Middle English seint, seynt (see above).
Etymology 3
From the pattern of naming various parishes and other places for Christian saints.
Etymology 4
From saint.